Angels are usually beings of Light that have not incarnated on earth before. (Though in certain cases some of them may have) They work closely with God and humans, helping to uplift, encourage and comfort us when we are in need. They may also come to deliver important messages to us, or to facilitate some specific healing we may be in need of. They also provide inspiration in the form of ideas for certain projects we may be here to complete.

Spirit Guides are usually human souls who have incarnated on earth many times, and have reached a highly enlightened stage of development, and now work closely with humans on earth to help guide, teach and enlighten us in our spiritual growth.

There are subtle differences between angels and spirit guides, and sometimes their duties and characteristics may overlap. Some people may be more comfortable referring to all of their guides as “Angels”, whereas some prefer to discern between the two types of spiritual helpers. The main thing to remember is that both beings are here to help guide us and make our earthly experience as meaningful and efficient as possible.

Most of us are born on earth with several spirit guides and angels already “assigned” to us. These beings stay with us throughout our entire lives here on earth. During certain periods of our lives, we may acquire other angels and guides as we develop a need for them. These guides usually stay with us until the situation is completed and we don’t need help with that particular issue anymore.

We are already working with them, whether consciously or not. Our guides are working with us almost constantly, even if we are not aware of it. They come into our dreams to convey information or to help us work through problems we may be having. They can also take us out of our bodies at night to work with us on the “astral plane.” When I say, “take us out of our bodies,” I don’t mean they kidnap us against our wills. What I mean is they come to us, request that we join them, and most often we do because our Higher Selves know and trust our guides, and we seek the knowledge they have to share.

At various times our angels and guides can also whisper things to us in our waking hours, or during sleep. We may hear this consciously, or not. How many times have you been struggling with some problem for days, and suddenly inspiration strikes, and you “know” the answer? You feel amazement that you didn’t think of it before now. Very often this knowledge comes from our angels or guides.

Even though our guides work with us all the time, we can attain much higher levels of growth and knowledge if we consciously work with them. I must warn, however, that this is not an easy path to take. Our guides take their jobs very seriously, and they are not interested in our whining or excuses. If we want to work with them, they will actually expect us to WORK. This can mean many different things for each of us. We may be encouraged to alter our lifestyle, or change careers, or work harder and more often on our development. We will be urged to shed the “security blankets” so many of us surround ourselves with. This can be anything from addictions to self- limiting thoughts and activities. But at the same time, this can be the most rewarding path you will ever set foot upon. If you will release your ego and trust that your guides truly love you and want the best for you, you can attain so much growth and meaning in your life that it will astound you.

Our guides are limited by the law of Free Will. That means they may NOT interfere in our lives unless we ask them to. They can certainly offer suggestions to us, encourage us, uplift us and comfort us in our times of need. They don’t need our permission to do that. But as far as deeper work with us, we must invite them in.

When ever we work with these Guides we need to protect ourselves so we only bring in the guides and spirits with our best intentions.